The French academie Fully discoursed and finished in foure bookes. 1. Institution of manners and callings of all estates. 2. Concerning the soule and body of man. 3. A notable description of the whole world, &c. 4. Christian philosophie, instructing the true and onely meanes to eternall life. This fourth part neuer before published in English. All written by the first author, Peter de la Primaudaye, Esquire, Lord of Barre, Chauncellour, and Steward of the French Kings house.

Of the diuers temperatures and complexions of men, according to the nature of humours that beare most sway in them: of the disposition whereunto they are naturaly mo∣ued by them either to vertues or vices: of the meanes to correct the vices and defects that may be in our naturall inclinations. Chap. 68.

ACHITOB. It is not without great shew of reason, that the Phylosophers made three * 1.1 principles and beginnings that affect mens actions, namely, powers, habits, or quali∣ties, & affections, or passions. For we see plainly by experience, of how great force these things are in man so long as he liueth. Concerning powers, they come to vs by nature, and are ef∣fectiue principles of all actions both good & bad, yea by them we knowe in children, during their young yeares, the signes and tokens of some vertue or vice, that will raigne most in them afterwards, which we commonly call, Inclination or Disposition. The passions and affe∣ctions

likewise naturall in vs, being forcible prickes to prouoke men to embrace either good or e∣uil, whereof wee haue already spoken sufficiently. As for the habites or qualities, they are accidentall in man, as they that are gotten by a long and continuall custome of doing good or euill, whereupon also they take the names of good or euiil habits. Now we commonly see some to be naturally enclined to one vertue and not to another, or to one vice and not to an other. For it seemeth sometimes that nature hath bred some to be tempe¦rate, * 1.2 others to be liberall, and contrariwise. And when a man endued with natarall powers tending to good, obtaineth qualities answerable thereupon, he is worthy of commenda∣tion, because vnto his inclination he hath added greater helpe, namely, care, and study, by meanes wherof he is come to some perfection. So likewise he that naturally being borne impotent, attaineth to those vertues that are contrary to his impotency, deserueth greater praise, because fighting as it were with nature, he remaineth conqueror ouer himselfe, and becommeth vertuous with greater difficulty. But contrariwise, if a man that is natu∣rally ill disposed to some particular vice, doth adde further a habite to his badde inclina∣tion, he is worthy of blame, because he hath not resisted euill, but pleasing himselfe therin hath made it greater. As likewise he that hath excellent graces & gifts of nature to do well, & suffreth them to vanish away throngo his negligence & custoome in euill, is much more to be blamed because that voluntarily he suffcet himselfe to be ouercome of vice. But we must consider of these things somewhat higher, & by the selfe same reason iudge of the naturall temperaments, which in the former speech we heard were diuers in euery one For we ought to acknowledge one God, Prince, & author of nature, who ruleth in all and ouer all. Therfore as he hath appropriated to the soule those instruments, which he hath gi∣uen * 1.3 vnto it in the body, to work in them & by them: so himselfe disposeth & ordreth those instruments, which he wil vse among men, yea euen from their mothers womb, as it is writ∣ten * 1.4 of the Prophet Ieremy, & of the Apostle S. Paul whom our Sauior also a choseo instrument is beare his na••e b••fore the Gentiles, & Kings, and children of Israell. No doubt, therefore con∣sidering the agreement which we haue heard is in the affections of the soule with the tē∣perature of the body, but that the more temperate the complections of euery mans body is, and the neerer it approcheth to the perfectest temperature, ••he more quiet and moderate, the more gracious and comely will his affections and manners be naturally, yea all his ge∣stures and whole behauiour. True it is, as we haue else where touched, that no body is so fra∣med, or hath such an harmony and equalitie throughout, but ther•• is some disagreement & inequalitie. But we account those natures to bee well tempered, which approch neerest to the perfect temperature: and as euery humour ruleth more or lesse in euery one, so he is cal∣led either sanguine, or flegmatike, or cholerike, or melancholike. Againe, as the other hu∣mours beare sway next vnto the principall, so is a man saide to bee either flegmattke san∣guine, or cholerike sanguine, or melancholicke sanguine. The like may be said of the other humours according to their temperature, as also of the affections which hause some agree∣ment with them. Heereof it is, that when there is excesse of the flegmaticke humour in men, their natures are commonly slouthfull, they shunne labour and giue themselues to bo∣dily * 1.5 pleasures, they loue dainties, and delicate meates and drinkes, they are tender and e••∣feminate, and cleane contrarie to stowt and valiant men. And if there be excesse of the cho∣lerike humour, their natures are easily prouoked and stirred vp to wrath: but their anger is as fire of thornes, that beeing soone kindled and making a great noise, is by and by quen∣ched againe. Their gestures also are more quicke and vehement, & their hastinesse is com∣monly foolish and turbulent: they bable much, and are like to vessels full of holes, vnable to * 1.6 hold in and keepe any secret matter: they are fierce in assailing, but inconstant in sustaining the assaolt, in some sort resembling the nature of dogges, which barke and bite if they can, and afterward flie away. And if there be excesse of the melancholike humor, the natures of such are sad, still, hard to please, suspicious conceited, obstinate, some more and some lesse. And if the cholerike and melancholike humours be corrupte and mingled together, their * 1.7 natures become monstrous, proud, full of enuy, fraud, subtilties, venemous and poisonfull hatefull and diabolicall.

And when the malignant spirits know mens natures thus disposed, no doubt but they take accasion thereby to intermingle thēselues, if God permit them, & purpose to vse them * 1.8 for the punishing of men: I say, they will ioyne themselues vnto them, & make them their in¦strumēts, as God on the other side vseth those natures that are most moderate & best tempe¦red, making thē instruments of his glory. Now we may call to mind what we learned before

almost to the same ende, touching the meanes whereby euill spirits might trouble she ima∣gination, fantasie and mindes of men. We may say as much of the humours of the body, whose motions and nature they know very well. Whereby they can so much the more easi∣ly abuse them in their damnable worke and will, as wee may iudge by the example of him * 1.9 that was possessed and lunaticke, of whom the Euangelists make mention, and whom they call by those two names. And by that which they wrote of him, it seemeth that he was sob∣iect to the falling sickenes, that returneth oftentimes according to the course of the moo••e, which naturally hath great affinitie with the humors, and great power ouer them. And ther∣fore it is very likely, that the euil spirit which tormented this poore lunatik, watched the oc∣casions of his disease to afflict him the more, & to cause him to fall either in the fire or in the water, as he did indeed, thereby to worke his death if he could. Which example sheweth * 1.10 vnto vs what is the malice of the Deuill, what pleasure he taketh in hurting of men, what meanes and what occasion he seeketh for, and maketh choise of, and what accesse vnto vs we may offer him through our corrupt nature, through our vices and sinnes, and through our inclinations and manners that are naturally euill and peruerse, if God letteth him loose the bridle by his iust iudgement: seeing he spareth not the little children, as it appeareth in that which is written of him, of whom we spake euen now. For this cause we ought to take good heede, that we giue not our common enemie those occasions that he seeketh to haue from vs, to the ende that he abuse vs not, nor any thing that is ours, and which God hath bestowed vpon vs. This is the reason why the consideration of our temperature, com∣plexion, and naturall inclination is very necessarie for vs: because the knowledge hereof af∣foordeth * 1.11 vnto many good instrustions that may stand vs in great stead throughout our whole life, as wel for the preseruation of the health of our bodies, as for the rule and gouern∣ment of our affections and manners, as also in regard of the familiarity and acquaintance which we haue one from another. For through the contemplation hereof we may know not onely the causes of health and sickenesse, of the life and death of the body but also of that of the soule. For as the good humours corrupt in our bodies, according as wee heard, and breede in them sundry diseases which finally leade them vnto death: euen so by meanes of sinne all those good and naturall affections, which ought to be the seedes of vertues in vs, are corrupted and turne into vices, that are the diseases of the soule, and bring vnto it the second and eternall death: as contrariwise vertues are the health and life thereof.

But as God hath prouided corporall medicines for the body, so he hath prepared spiritu∣all Phisicke for the soule against all the diseases thereof. Therefore when we consider with ourselues vnto what vices we are inclined by nature, we must labour to correct, and bridle them, and to quench such inclinations, as much as wee can, through sobriety, vigilancy, and continuall practise to the contrary: least wee nourish and encrease them, when as wee ought to diminish and wholy to abolish them. For the common prouerb is not without reason, that Education passeth nature, or that it is another nature. We see by experience what Education and instruction are able to doe both to goodnesse and vice, according as they are either good or euill. For as there is no nature so good, which cannot be corrup∣ted and peruerted through euill education and teaching: so there is none so vicious and euill, which cannot, at the least in some measure, (through the helpe and grace of God) bee corrected and amended by good education, instruction, and discipline. And because conuersation and familiarity are of great efficacy in this point, wee are diligently to con∣sider with what persons and natures wee acquaint our selues, and bee carefull to eschew * 1.12 such natures as are vicious, proud, fierce, ennious, hatefull, malicious, suspicious, dis∣loyall, and traiterous, as well in regard of the corruption of maners wherewith we may be infected by them, as also in respect of other harmes that may befall vs, by reason they are vnsociable natures or at the least very difficult to conuerse withall, being indeed such as towards whome no man can beare any true loue or firme friendshippe. But when wee haue vsed all the diligence wee can possible about these things, the chiefest point wherein the whole consisteth, is this, that wee haue recourse to Iesus Christ the eter∣nall Sonne of GOD, to the ende that by his holy Spirit, hee would correct, represse, and quench in vs all the vicious affections and disordered motions, that we haue contrary * 1.13 to his holy will: according to that promise which is mades vnto vs, wherein it is said, that If fathers knew how to giue good gifts to their children and such things as are necessarie for them, much more will our hea••enly Father giue his holy Spirit to them that aske of him. And this is the true meanes wee ought to keepe for the correcting of these vices and

defectes, that are in our naturall inclinations. Now wee haue spoken sufficiently of those things which concer••e the naturall powers of the soule, in respect of the nourishment and groweth of the body, & of those instruments which it hath in the same for the performance of her actions, It remaineth now that we consider what effects it hath in generation. First then ASER, thou shalt handle the restauratrion & reparation of all natures by that vertue and power of Generation that is in them, and namely, in man: to the end we may after pro∣ceede with those other points that concerne this matter.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Three chiefe workers of mens actions.
• * 1.2

  He speakes of such goodues & vertues as were so estee¦med of by the heathen that knew not their naturall corruption.
• * 1.3

  God ruleth in al, & ouer al.
• * 1.4

  Ierem. 1. Galat. 1. Acts 9. 15.
• * 1.5

  The nature of flegmatike persons.
• * 1.6

  The nature of a cholericke complection.
• * 1.7

  The nature of the melancho¦licke body.
• * 1.8

  What natures are most abu∣sed by euill spirits.
• * 1.9

  Matth. 17. 15 Mar. 9. 20. Luke 9. 39.
• * 1.10

  How vigilant the Diuell is to hurt vs.
• * 1.11

  What profit we reape by the know∣ledge of our complexions.
• * 1.12

  What na∣tures we are to eschew.
• * 1.13

  The true meanes to cure out vices Matth 7. 11. Luke 11. 13.